1972 Green Bay Packers season

The 1972 Green Bay Packers season was their 54th season overall and their 52nd season in the National Football League. The team finished with a 10–4 record under second-year head coach Dan Devine, earning them the NFC Central division title. The Packers returned to the playoffs after a four-year drought (and qualified for the first time since Vince Lombardi departed as head coach); their most recent division title was in 1967, completing that postseason with a decisive win in Super Bowl II in January 1968.

1972 Green Bay Packers season
Head coach	Dan Devine
Home field	Lambeau Field Milwaukee County Stadium
Results
Record	10–4
Division place	1st NFC Central
Playoff finish	Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Redskins) 3–16
← 1971 Packers seasons 1973 →

In 1972, Green Bay entered the penultimate regular season game at Minnesota on December 10 with an 8–4 record. The Vikings (7–5) had won the season's earlier game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay by breaking a fourth quarter tie with two interceptions for touchdowns.^[1] This time, the Packers overcame a 7–0 halftime deficit at Metropolitan Stadium with 23 unanswered points to clinch the division title.^[2][3][4] Running back John Brockington became the first in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons,^[5] and did it again the following season.

Placekicker Chester Marcol established an NFL rookie record for field goals in a season (since broken).^[6] It was the fifteenth and final season of hall of fame linebacker Ray Nitschke.

The Packers' next playoff appearance would come in 1982, and their next division title came 23 years later, in 1995.

Offseason

In February 1972, running back (and punter) Donny Anderson was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for MacArthur Lane.^[7][8] Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr retired as a player in July;^[9][10] he was the quarterbacks coach and play caller in 1972. (He then pursued business interests and was a color analyst for CBS, then returned to the Packers as their head coach in the 1975 season.)^[11][12][13]

NFL draft

Main article: 1972 NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	School/Club Team
1	7	Willie Buchanon	Cornerback	San Diego State
1	11	Jerry Tagge ^(From San Diego Chargers)	Quarterback	Nebraska
2	34	Chester Marcol	Kicker	Hillsdale
4	86	Eric Patton	Linebacker	Notre Dame
6	138	Nathaniel Ross	Cornerback	Bethune-Cookman
6	147	Bob Hudson	Running back	Northeastern State
7	163	Bill Bushong	Defensive tackle	Kentucky
8	190	Leland Glass	Wide receiver	Oregon
10	242	Keith Wortman	Guard	Nebraska
11	266	David Bailey	Wide Receiver	Alabama
12	294	Mike Rich	Running Back	Florida
13	319	Jesse Lakes	Running Back	Central Michigan
14	246	Larry Hefner	Linebacker	Clemson
15	371	Rick Thone	Wide Receiver	Arkansas Tech
16	398	Charles Burrell	Defensive Tackle	Arkansas AM&N

• Yellow indicates a future Pro Bowl selection

Undrafted free agents

1972 Undrafted Free Agents of note

Player	Position	College
Bob Kroll	Defensive back	Northern Michigan

Roster

1972 Green Bay Packers roster
Quarterbacks 16 Scott Hunter 10 Frank Patrick 17 Jerry Tagge Running backs 42 John Brockington 23 Bob Hudson 40 David Kopay 36 MacArthur Lane 31 Perry Williams 26 Ward Walsh Wide receivers 84 Carroll Dale 47 Dave Davis 41 Paul Gibson 46 Leland Glass 22 Jon Staggers Tight ends 88 Len Garrett 86 Pete Lammons 81 Rich McGeorge		Offensive linemen 57 Ken Bowman 68 Gale Gillingham 77 Bill Hayhoe 72 Dick Himes 64 Kevin Hunt 62 Bill Lueck 71 Francis Peay 67 Malcolm Snider 58 Cal Withrow 65 Keith Wortman Defensive linemen 78 Bob Brown 76 Mike McCoy 75 Dave Pureifory 87 Alden Roche 73 Vernon Vanoy 83 Clarence Williams		Linebackers 53 Fred Carr 50 Jim Carter 56 Tommy Crutcher 51 Larry Hefner 66 Ray Nitschke 89 Dave Robinson Defensive backs 28 Willie Buchanon 48 Ken Ellis 21 Charlie Hall 39 Jim Hill 44 Bob Kroll 29 Al Matthews 37 Ike Thomas Special teams 13 Chester Marcol 20 Ron Widby		Reserve lists Practice squad 11 Charlie Napper QB

Regular season

Schedule

In Week 3, the Packers defeated the defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys in Milwaukee, improving their all-time record to 7–1 over Dallas; the sole loss was in 1970.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 17	at Cleveland Browns	W 26–10	1–0	Cleveland Stadium	75,771
2	September 24	Oakland Raiders	L 14–20	1–1	Lambeau Field	56,263
3	October 1	Dallas Cowboys	W 16–13	2–1	Milwaukee County Stadium	47,103
4	October 8	Chicago Bears	W 20–17	3–1	Lambeau Field	56,263
5	October 16	at Detroit Lions	W 24–23	4–1	Tiger Stadium	54,418
6	October 22	Atlanta Falcons	L 9–10	4–2	Milwaukee County Stadium	47,967
7	October 29	Minnesota Vikings	L 13–27	4–3	Lambeau Field	56,263
8	November 5	San Francisco 49ers	W 34–24	5–3	Milwaukee County Stadium	47,897
9	November 12	at Chicago Bears	W 23–17	6–3	Soldier Field	55,701
10	November 19	at Houston Oilers	W 23–10	7–3	Astrodome	41,752
11	November 26	at Washington Redskins	L 16–21	7–4	RFK Stadium	53,039
12	December 3	Detroit Lions	W 33–7	8–4	Lambeau Field	56,263
13	December 10	at Minnesota Vikings	W 23–7	9–4	Metropolitan Stadium	49,784
14	December 17	at New Orleans Saints	W 30–20	10–4	Tulane Stadium	65,881

Monday (October 16)

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Playoffs

Green Bay met the NFC East champion Washington Redskins (11–3) in the divisional playoffs on Christmas Eve at RFK Stadium. The Packers practiced the week before at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.^[14][15] The two teams had played four weeks earlier at the same venue; the Redskins won by five points on November 26,^[16] and were favored by in the playoff game by 4½ points.^[14] The results were similar, as Green Bay scored first but lost again in D.C., this time by thirteen points, 16–3.^[17][18]

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Attendance
Divisional	December 24, 1972	at Washington Redskins	L 16–3	RFK Stadium	53,140

Standings

NFC Central
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Green Bay Packers	10	4	0	.714	5–1	8–3	304	226	W3
Detroit Lions	8	5	1	.607	2–4	6–5	339	290	W1
Minnesota Vikings	7	7	0	.500	4–2	6–5	301	252	L2
Chicago Bears	4	9	1	.321	1–5	3–7–1	225	275	L1

Awards, records, and honors

• Chester Marcol, NFL rookie record (since broken), most Field Goals in one year by a rookie, (32)
• Willie Buchanon – AP Defensive Rookie of the Year

References

1. Lea, Bud (October 30, 1972). "Vikings pick Packer pockets". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part2.
2. "Packers win division title". Milwaukee Sentinel. December 11, 1972. p. 1, part 1.
3. Lea, Bud (December 11, 1972). "Vikings fall; the Pack is back!". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
4. "Green Bay smothers Viks for 'Black-Blue' NFL title". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 11, 1972. p. 12.
5. "Playoffs shaping in pro grid play". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. Associated Press. December 11, 1972. p. 17.
6. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 409
7. Johnson, Chuck (November 7, 1973). "Shuffled off to St. Louis, Anderson scores as a Card". Milwaukee Journal. p. 14-part 2.
8. Lea, Bud (February 23, 1972). "Donny tells of rift with Devine". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1-part 2.
9. "Starr, 38, quits as Packer player". Milwaukee Journal. July 21, 1972. p. 1, part 1.
10. "Injuries finally end Bart Starr's career". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 22, 1972. p. 4B.
11. Lea, Bud; Hofmann, Dave (December 24, 1974). "Starr to be named today". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
12. Kupper, Mike (December 24, 1974). "Starr, Packers, make it official". Milwaukee Journal. p. 1, part 1.
13. Hofmann, Dale (December 25, 1974). "Starr pledges fresh start". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
14. Lea, Bud (December 22, 1972). "Packers sharpen key weapons". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
15. Lea, Bud (December 23, 1972). "Pressure mounts, Packers keep cool". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
16. Lea, Bud (November 27, 1972). "Packers get skinned". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
17. Lea, Bud (December 25, 1972). "Redskins burst Packer bubble". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 2.
18. "'Skins old men advance to finals". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. December 25, 1972. p. 1F.

Sources

• Sportsencyclopedia.com